Probably the oldest and best known kaleidoscopes has transparent or translucent panels at the end of the tube with glass beads and other loose material that fell into different positions to generate varying designs that were viewed in the reflecting, angularly related planes, through an opening in the end wall of the tube remote from the panels that confined the beads and other loose material.
A later type has silhouette pictures on loose but parallel panels and miscellaneous shapes confined between the end panels of the tube at the end opposite the viewing opening and the reflecting walls along the line of sight reproduced the silhouettes in angular relation to one another.
A simpler type of kaleidoscope does away with the loose particles confined between transparent panels and substitutes a window or lens at the end of the tube. The plane reflective surfaces at an angle to one another, usually 45 degress, reflect the image that enters the tube through the lens at the front end and interesting fields and colors are seen from the rearward end of the tube through an observation opening in line with the reflectors. It is no longer necessary to rotate the tube but horizontal or vertical movement produces certain mental images which are, in reality, bits of the scene ahead of the tube which is picked up by the lens.
This invention has a housing enclosing reflectors that are at an angle to one another and which have reflective surfaces facing one another, but the object viewed is preferably opaque so that no light passes through the end of the tube on its way to the viewing opening at the other end of the tube. The tube that contains the angularly related reflecting planes has a partition at the forward ends of the reflecting planes and the portion of the tube beyond this partition is constructed so as to admit light from outside the tube into the tube on the side of the partition opposite the reflecting surfaces so that the opaque end wall of the tube is illuminated by light passing into the tube through light admitting walls of the tube ahead of the partition.
In order to supply more light to illuminate the target, the portion of the area of the front of the partition which is beyond the transverse extent of the reflecting planes is made a reflecting surface for light which is transmitted through the sides of the tube, ahead of the partition, and in a direction toward the front surface of the partition. This light is reflected forward toward the target to increase the illumination of the target.
The side of the target area that faces the partition has a layer of material which changes in color in response to pressure applied by a finger to the closed end of the tube which is illuminated by the light which enters through the transparent portion of the tube wall at the target end of the tube. This material will be described more fully in connection with the description of the preferred embodiment.
The changes in color or pattern that are produced by rubbing a finger over the outside of the end wall (target area) of the device by exerting pressure from the outside, produce lines or recognizable images in response to finger pressure which are the result of movements by the operator and put the operator in control of the image and have a calming effect upon persons using the device.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.